Holiness Must Be Preached

While the message of entire sanctification should not be the only message preached to the church, it should be the prominent one. The apostle Paul stated that the great object of an established Christian ministry to be “for the perfecting of the saints.” The believer should witness to the doctrine and practice of holiness the same prominence the Bible gives it.

Rev. John Wesley said: “Therefore let all our preachers make a point to preach of perfection to believers constantly, strongly, explicitly.” “I doubt not we are not explicit enough in speaking on full sanctification, either in public or private.”

Dr. Adam Clarke stated: “If the Methodists give up preaching entire sanctification they will soon lose their glory.” History has proven that Dr. Clarke was prophetically accurate. The Methodist Church left the doctrine of entire sanctification and look at it today.

Bishop Foster stated: “Let the pulpit experience and teach this glorious privilege as it deserves to be taught, and great evil will be obviated.”

Bishop Asbury writing to the Rev. Henry Smith stated: “Preach sanctification, directly and indirectly, in every sermon.” To another, he wrote: “O purity! O Christian perfection! O sanctification! It is heaven below to feel all sin removed. Preach it, whether they will hear or forbear. Preach it!”

My experience concurs with the above quotes. In counseling Christians that were struggling with some issue, I consistently pointed them to the blessed experience of holiness. It is a cure for worry, doubt, fear, addiction, and hopelessness. How can this be? The short answer is that the believer who has been sanctified has no worry, fear, doubt, because they are wholly the Lord’s. He is their everything. They have taken the death route and died to the world and sin. Have you ever seen a dead body at a funeral worrying about anything? Ever seen the dead body react to negative comments or fear? No, they are dead. In the same way as we moment by moment keep our eyes on Jesus Christ, we can live the same way. Both Scripture, reason and experience prove it is possible and that is why holiness must be preached.